The snow fell gently around them as Liam walked hand in hand with his grandmother through the quiet, frozen forest. He loved these winter walks—the way the trees shimmered with ice and the air smelled fresh and crisp.
“Tell me a story, Grandma,” he said, squeezing her warm, wrinkled hand.
She smiled, but there was something sad in her eyes. “Liam, my dear, there is a story I have never told you…”
As she spoke, her voice trembled. A shiver ran through her body, and suddenly, her grip tightened. Liam looked up in shock—her skin was changing.
Her hands, once soft and fragile, thickened, growing covered in pure white fur. Her fingers melted into massive paws, her nails stretching into black claws. Her back arched, bones shifting and cracking as her body expanded.
“Grandma?” Liam’s voice shook as he stumbled backward.
She fell onto all fours, her face stretching into a powerful snout, her eyes glowing like icy blue fire. In mere moments, where his grandmother had stood, a massive white bear now loomed over him.
Liam’s breath turned to mist as he stared into the bear’s familiar eyes.
“Do not be afraid, my dear,” the bear spoke, her voice still carrying the warmth of his grandmother. “This… this is who I truly am.”
The wind howled through the trees as Liam took a shaky step forward.
“What happens now?” he whispered.
The bear lowered her great head, pressing her forehead gently to his.
“Now, my child… you must remember me.”
And with that, she turned toward the snowy hills, her giant paws crunching in the ice, disappearing into the wilderness.